There's no word on what sorts of content followers can expect from Google, which itself follows only three users (though there's no way of knowing who, as Instagram does not make those details public).

The ads, which drew criticism from some users, don't seem to have slowed Instagram's popularity, however: In March, the photo-sharing site announced a milestone 200 million-plus active monthly users.

Among them: hundreds of celebrities and brands, the ranks of which Google now joins. The search giant is surrounded by names like Oprah Winfrey, Mike Tyson, Burberry, Ben & Jerry's, Charity Water, and President Barack Obamamany of which use the platform to highlight new products or provide a glimpse into an otherwise private world.

And since Google has reportedly abandoned Plus as a standalone social network, perhaps it's not as concerned about supporting a rival firm?

Google declined to comment further.

Perhaps the company will take advantage of the new Adidas mobile app, which allows users to add their Instagram images to customized sneakers.

Editor's Note: This story was updated Wednesday with comment from Google.

Stephanie began as a PCMag reporter in May 2012. She moved to New York City from Frederick, Md., where she worked for four years as a multimedia reporter at the second-largest daily newspaper in Maryland. She interned at Baltimore magazine and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (in the town of Indiana, in the state of Pennsylvania) with a degree in journalism and mass communications.
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